Daryl's way to Carol
by bravd
Summary: Days after the attack of the governor on the prison Daryl thinks about the loss of his brother. Carol comes to his mind and, after a short conversation, things seem to start changing. But an outburst interrupts it before it even started. Daryl needs to find his way back to Carol. Short story.
1. Short words, loving gestures

Daryl was on watch and this time Glenn had joined in. Now there were more of them, so the prison was better secured, but it also meant a bigger responsibility. Half of the men brought from Woodbury didn't know how to hold a gun right, but Rick and Daryl were working on that.

Yet not tonight. Tonight he was on watch with Glenn and, somehow, he enjoyed the silence. His Korean friend, kept to himself this evening, even if normally he was more the friendly type. But it seemed that the night had brought a strange kind of need for silence, of taking the rare time to look into oneself and where they were standing. And while Glenn was thinking about Maggie, with a small smile in the corner of his lip, Daryl's mind was spinning and spinning.

Merle was dead and this just recalled him of the time Ed had been bitten and how Carol had insisted to put an end to his life herself. He recalled how all her anger went in that hammer and how she hit the man not once, not twice, but until she got all her anger out. How she freed herself from him that night, in anger and in tears. She had been controlled her whole life by him and wasn't he, Daryl also in that situation?

Youngest of the Dixon, a boxing sack for the whole family, starting with his father and ending with his brother. Sure Merle wasn't that bad, he just repeated the same history that happened to him. He had had a certain desire to protect and take care of his younger brother, but that could happen only through control and pushing his way of living down to him. He was…

"Chilly evening isn't it?" Daryl's thoughts got interrupted by the only voice he ever found comforting. He turned to the smiling Carol, who was holding two bowls of food. "Brought you something to eat".

"Great, I'm starving" Glenn said cheerful, taking one of the bowls. He looked long at it and the put it down. "Carol…could you take over for a couple of minutes? I need to…use the toilet".

Daryl snorted amused.

"And you needed her to appear to tell me you need a piss?" the hunter asked.

Glenn shrugged somehow ashamed.

"Sure" Carol said and Glenn nodded thanking, disappearing towards the building of the prison.

"You think he's afraid of me?" Daryl asked digging the spoon in the bowl of food.

"He is just polite" Carol replied, pulling her long sweater tighter. "It's…rather silent tonight. I mean, it's silent every night, but even the walkers seemed to have taken a break".

"Yeah…if they ever…" he looked at her long. "You know what? You kinda changed".

"Merle said that to me a few days ago" she replied turning to him.

"Yeah, even that dickhead must have noticed it".

"I should say the same about you. When I met you back at the camp near Atlanta you just seemed…"

"Like Ed?" he filled his mouth again, staring into the distant night.

"No, not at all. Just distant, not interested in anything else than surviving and keeping your brother safe. Even so…you were the one to hunt for the whole camp".

"Yeah and the camp kept my clothes clean" he shrugged.

"Guess we both changed. I am not afraid of shadows anymore and can hold a gun and you…I guess you learned to trust".

Daryl made a long pause as his mind understood of her words. She was silent as well, she would always let him gather his thoughts.

"I guess I learned to care" he finally said.

"Is this why you returned?"

Daryl finished his food and sat the bowl on the ground.

"Neah, I returned because if I didn't, all your asses would have ended as snacks for the walkers" he smirked.

Carol laughed shortly and looked down at the ground, moving a little on her feet to warm up.

"I guess we need you, but probably not as much as Merle needed you" she said.

"Yeah, but…I also need you people around here, more than I need Merle" he mumbled, Carol having a hard time understanding him. But she did. "And now…it's just me, Merle's out of my head".

Carol laughed and she laughed rich, making Daryl look surprised at her.

"What you laughing about, woman?"

"It was you for a long time, Merle was merely a part of your existence. I mean his influence is long gone, what is left is just your brother love for him. Let's be serious, Daryl, you fought to keep us all safe, you helped Rick sort things out and you…definitely helped me more than anyone did in my life" her voice lowered as she had gotten to the end of her sentence.

He looked long at her, forgetting for a second where he was and even that the world had ended. That until he heard Glenn return.

"Don't…leave again" Carol said quickly as she picked up the bowl and turned to leave.

"Sorry it took me so long" Glenn said as he passed Carol.

"Your food's gotten cold" Daryl said neutral. He looked up the hill at Carol walking away.

"Maggie is coming to release you from your shift".

"Why so? Need some privacy and don't know how to say it?"

"No…that's not it. She says you had a couple of long days and should get some rest".

"Since when started women giving orders around here?"

"Since the world ended?" he said amused. "But she's right. You should rest tonight".

"Yea, whatever".

Maggie did indeed take over later and Daryl returned to the block of cells. He stopped by the cell Carol was living in and looked inside. Carol wasn't there.

"Searching for someone?" she approached.

"Just checking up on everybody" he said.

She nodded with a smile quickly and wanted to enter her cell just as Daryl took a step to his right to pass her. They stopped in front of each other. Carol took a step to her left to let him pass. She looked at her long, the intention to pass leaving his head.

"Wait I need to…" he took the same step to be closer to her.

He lifted his hand and remained with it in the air, before approaching it slowly to her cheek. His fingers brushed her cheek in a sluggish move as his face approached her more. He smiled shortly before his lips met her in a soft and simple kiss. Carol almost froze, his burned lips feeling unreal on hers. It took her a moment to come to herself and soften her lips, letting the man truly kiss her. She barely opened her mouth as his lips embraced her lower lip. Her desire was rising in her as her hands went to Daryl's neck, when Judith started crying. They broke the kiss and looked at each other.

"I need to…" she barely whispered.

"I'll wait here for you".

She smiled and nodded fast and turned to hurry to Judith.

Daryl sat down on Carol's bed as the woman rushed to the baby, hoping to calm it quickly and be able to return to her cell that never seemed so appealing to her like in those moments. She felt her guts tense and her heart beat fasten at the thought that that man…the only man in her thoughts was waiting for her on her bed.


	2. Slipping through my fingers

Daryl supported his elbows on his knees and crossed his fingers, his lips flaming up from the short, but so promising kiss he had shared with Carol. His face brightened and he almost smiled when Rick appeared in the door, pale and worn out.

"Daryl…" he managed saying and the man jumped up.

Everyone started agitating and Carol looked down at them still holding Judith.

"Daryl!" she called as she saw the man running out of his cell with Rick.

"I'll be back for you, woman, just keep safe" he turned and said still running.

Carol felt the world falling over her. Beth rushed to her as she was nervously cradling the baby.

"What happened?" she asked the blonde girl.

"It was silent and quiet and then…an outburst of walkers I think they have been brought from Woodbury again, and this time…they made a whole…it's in the sector of the new people they brought" the girl said fast, her words messed.

"Hold her, lock the gates, hide yourself and Hershel!" Carol demanded handing Judith to Beth. She looked around and grabbed a heavy pipe.

"Carol, don't, they…"

"I am not losing everything I have, not again, not now!" she said and hurried down the stairs.

She rushed out in the yard after the noises to the next block of cells, finding a part of the people, seeing Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie and Carl fighting the walkers with a part of the new people from Woodbury. Michonne was in the yard chopping heads like onions.

"Follow me" she said to the scared people, making the follow her.

They reached the cells again.

"Beth open up" she called and the girl rushed. They got the people in fast and Carol hurried back. She stopped next to Michonne and hit whatever she could as hard as she could.

"Carol, get back there!" Michonne demanded.

"I got this, they are a few, help the others, your better at this than me" she gasped as her pipe broke the skull of a rotten walker.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, go!" Carol said with a decided voice, feeling her body stronger than ever. She felt the back of her belt, sensing the knife there. But she didn't need that yet, she was blindly ending walkers, like the power of ten men had entered her. She was soon finished with the yard and ran inside the cell blocks.

"There were humans with them!" Rick said as Michonne was sticking her sword in the last rolling head of a walker.

"We're going after them" Daryl demanded.

"Glenn, Michonne! Carl, Carol, Maggie you stay here with the rest, make sure everyone is safe and none escaped" Rick quickly said and everyone agreed.

They all passed Carol and the woman returned with Carl and the remaining habitants of Woodbury back to the main block cell.

"Everything seems fine. Someone must have gotten them in, through the back. We secured whatever door was left" Maggie said as she returned with Carl, from checking the perimeter some time later. Carol had brewed up some tea out of what she had for tea, trying to create a calmer atmosphere while Hershel attended the wounds on people.

"They've been gone for a while" Hershel said.

"It's almost light outside" Maggie agreed.

"Using the same trick twice…I guess the governor returned to Woodbury and is after us… again" Carol said.

"I'm going to the gates to wait for them. Join me?" Maggie asked.

Carol nodded.

"I'm coming with you" Carl said. "Lock yourself in".

Beth nodded and the three left.

The sun was almost setting when a car approached. Rick waved and Maggie opened while Carol and Carl turned some of the walker's attention on them. They stopped and Rick came out of the car with Michonne.

"Glenn? Daryl?" Maggie asked her face turning pale.

"We lost them, we got split" Rick said. "We finished one and got his car, Michonne is hurt, not a bite. I'm going back after them".

"No, wait a little they might return, let's arrange a search party" Carl said. "There are men inside who can help".

"I don't have time for a search party!" Rick replied. "The sun is setting and…"

Carol felt her breathe leaving her.

"We'll go with you, now!" she said, but Rick shook his head.

"Look!" Carl called out.

Out of the bushes, Daryl appeared with Glenn, shoulder to shoulder and none could tell who was holding who. Maggie opened the doors and rushed out with Rick, while Carol and Michonne resumed finishing what walkers were left. Carl helped them and the two men were safe soon.

"I think he broke his leg" Daryl said as they walked to the prison cell.

"Oh, fuck, Glenn" Maggie whispered helping the man. They sat him on a bed and Hershel walked in to attend him. He rolled the man's pants up.

"I will need your help, Carol, we need to place the bone back" Hershel said and Carol nodded rushing to him.

"Let's check if there is a breach and secure every door" Rick said to the others. "Maggie you stay with Glenn here. How are you feeling?" he looked at Michonne.

"Good enough to help you, my wound isn't going anywhere.

Rick nodded and they left. Carol looked after Daryl.

"Did it have to be now?" she whispered as she was holding Glenn's leg.

"Sorry?" Hershel asked.

"Nothing…just that…nothing".

She feared Daryl was slipping through her fingers. Yesterday's events seemed so far away, she feared she had just dreamed it.

Glenn's leg was bandaged and Maggie was sitting next to him, comforting the man. Carol went to prepare something to eat and was mixing in a pot absent minded.

"Listen you haven't rested ever since we brought them in" Rick said to Daryl as they returned and Carol felt her stomach shiver again. "You're taking the night off and I will hold watch with Carl".

Daryl looked at Carol short, mixing in the pot like her life depended on it.

"I'll come hold watch with you, 'till we eat. Make sure everything's fine".

"What happened after all?" Hershel asked them.

"I'll explain when you come with the food" Rick said. "See for Michonne's wound for now".

Carol finished and approached the cell Michonne was getting her wound checked.

"Is it serious?" she asked.

"No, no, she will be fine" he said. "Just a scratch as Michonne says.

"So you found those men there".

Michonne nodded.

"Three of them" she replied as she stood up. "Come on, Rick will tell you everything".

Carol nodded and Michonne with Beth helped her carry the bowls of boiling food. Maggie remained with Glenn also watching over Judith.

Rick sat with Carl as they ate, while Daryl refused the food. He remained standing searching the night with his blue eyes.

"They were indeed from Woodbury. Only three of them, I guess he is running out of men, after he killed most of them" Rick explained. "He tried scaring us and getting us into the woods…and he managed. We need to start training those men tomorrow, we need more power. And we need to stick together we've got lucky this time".

Carol approached Daryl with the bowel as Rick was resuming his story in the back. It could wait until the morning.

"I'll hold it for you while you eat" she said looking at the riffle.

Daryl snorted and shook his head amused.

"You're looking pale" he said handing the riffle to Carol and taking the food in his hands.

"What did you expect, a blossoming beauty after I scared to death when Rick returned only with Michonne?"

"I said I was coming back for you, woman" he grunted. "Now go get some sleep, who's gonna take care of lill' kick ass in there if you get sick?"

"And you?"

"I can't sleep tonight, I'm better of here" he replied and handed her the bowl taking his riffle. He turned and walked further inspecting the fence.

Carol looked after him and sighted.

She had returned to her bed and was sitting on it, feeling not the slightest need for sleep. She was rubbing her palms, looking down at them until she heard something like a knock next to the door. She looked up at Daryl supporting his back on the door way. He was slightly smiling down on her. Daryl entered and sat down in front of her placing his palms over her hands.

"You've got some guts, woman, coming after us with that pipe of yours" he said. "When did you become such a fighter?"

"By the same time you become such a softie" she teased him and he grunted amused.

"When I say something, I keep my promise. You don't doubt me".

She stroked the short strands out of his forehead and looked into his strong eyes.

"I never did" she whispered. "You're just slipping through my fingers".

"I'm not slipping anywhere. I guess I am finally here to stay" he rose and approached her face.

He needed to look into her eyes long before he kissed her lips. And this time she softened instantly offering her lips. Her hands went into his hair as his palms embraced her waist pushing her more to the bed. She felt her head meet the pillow and felt his weight over her, but he didn't feel heavy, he felt warm, he felt good. She pushed herself into him, trying to become one with him and she felt his arms holding her even tighter, his fingers going up her back, trying to feel more of her. Their lips melted together and it felt like all the time left in the world wasn't enough to kiss each other breathless. Carol sensed his hands slipping under her shirt, her skin desiring more of the warm touches, while she gradually parted her legs making room for his.

Her hands went on his shirt, slowly working on the buttons, her fingers wondering over his chest as he finally slipped her blouse off.

"You're mine now, Carol" he whispered as his hands unbuttoned her jeans.


	3. Here to stay

Carol opened her eyes as the sun was lazy entering the cell. She couldn't see it from where she was sitting, but she realized it was light outside. As she turned she found Daryl wasn't there anymore. She lifted her upper body, looking around, but nothing spoke that Daryl had been ever there. Only her naked body under the blanket. She dressed quickly and walked to where the communal bathroom had been arranged, wishing for a quick barrel shower. She soaped her body and let the water run slowly over t to clean the soap and traces of last night. But it couldn't clean her thoughts or the absence of Daryl. As she finished she dressed in fresh clothes and walked back to her cell. The bed was arranged and a Cherokee rose was waiting for her on the pillow. Her lips formed up into a loved filled smile. She placed the flower in a plastic glass with a little water. Judith was starting to wake up and she went to feed the child.

"Does it seem to me or did she grow?" Rick asked as she bent to kiss his daughter.

"She's a sweetheart, she never makes any problems" Carol said.

"Well, she has a lot of hands around to take care of her".

Carol smiled at the curios baby.

"Might you know where Daryl is?"

"He went out on an early hunt and said he will take over the next shift. He insisted to be alone".

"I see. I'll prepare something to eat. Would you bring him a bowel?" she said as she handed Judith to Rick.

"Me? You're the one to always bring him food".

"Well…not today. I just think he needs his privacy".

Rick wanted to ask if something was wrong, but the secure smile on Carol's lips held him from doing so.

He brought Daryl his food.

"Carol asked me to" he added trying to read anything on the man's face but he couldn't. Daryl just nodded. "Is everything…ok between the two of you?"

"Never been better" he replied in one word.

"I see" Rick said and waited a little longer to see if Daryl had something more to add. But he seemed even more silent today so the leader of the group left.

Daryl ate, enjoying the warm morning.

He remained on watch the whole morning, resumed training the new group later with Rick and returned to his post.

He hadn't returned yet when Carol went to sleep. She closed her eyes, the last image she saw being the flower in the plastic glass.

Daryl hadn't gotten any sleep that night. He didn't need any, at least his mind didn't, but his body felt tired. He saw Carol walk around the yard, probably stretching her limbs. He watched the woman long.

"Rick".

"Yes?"

"I'm going to rest now".

"Was about time" Rick agreed and Daryl climbed down from the last tower that was still standing. He waited for Carol to return and the woman smiled, wanting to pass him. He stopped her, standing in front of her.

"Morning, Daryl" she said with her usual comforting smile.

"You waited for me?" he grunted as he asked her.

"Didn't you ask me for it, when you placed the flower on my pillow?"

He smiled as he looked long at her.

"I will always be here, for as long as I have days to live, one or a hundred" she continued saying. "You don't have to think that…I won't wait".

"You're a hell of a woman, Carol" he said in a low tone. "We…we were never meant to be in a normal world, but I guess rules changed. When I left the other night after those shitheads that attacked, I needed to find my way…I finally needed to find my way to you, my way back to you".

Carol looked down at the ground as the smiled forming on her lips felt brighter than the sun.

"And did you?" she asked.

He raised her chin with his fingers.

"Come to yourself woman, you're acting like a teenager" he said pleased as his eyes stared into hers. "It ain't that easy around you, ya know? 'Cause you also make me feel…strange".

She wanted to say something, but he didn't let her. He approached her and kissed her lips, not caring if anyone was seeing them.

Note: I wanted Carol to grow a little stronger for Daryl, she needed to evolve to remain alive in the on going world. Anyway, thanks for reading!


End file.
